The 8th Edition Lonville Classic

The 8th Edition of the Lonville Classic

Cruising along winding alpine roads, roof down in the glorious sunshine… is there anything better in life? Probably, but the birth of your firstborn only happens once while the Lonville Classic is now in its eighth year.

The rally began back in 2009 with the goal of taking in three of Europe’s most beautiful lakes in three days. Beginning with Lugano in Switzerland the rally then headed to the magnificent Lake Como, followed by Maggiore on the final day.

Unless your mental arithmetic is more than a little embarrassing you might have noticed something interesting: The Lonville Classic has been running for far longer than the watchmaker itself. The reason’s pretty simple: it was the dolce vita of the classic car rally that inspired Lonville watches in the first place.

It’s the kind of classic cars seen at the Lonville rally that lend their aesthetic cues to key piece like the Fuel Tank, where in fact the entire idea behind the watch brand was born. If you take a look at the watches then – the classic, white gold cases and miniscule production numbers – you begin to get a good idea of what the Lonville Classic really is.

For one, it’s among the most intimate rallies of its kind; this is no Mille Miglia. Just 24 cars set off together and, across the long weekend, hopefully just as many finish. Not that it’s all about finishing of course. There’s less of a competitive edge here – the enjoyment of driving is the be-all and end-all. This year that driving combines the best of past rallies with a few new stops along the way.

Start in quiet Swiss villages secluded high in the mountains before descending into lakeside roads around the breath-taking pairing of Como and Lago Maggiore. Brave the snowy passes of the ever-exclusive St. Moritz one day, explore the Barolo vineyards of Tuscany the next. The route will take in everything: mountains, lakes, vineyards and finally the Liguria coast.

Aside from showcasing just how painfully pretty the Swiss Alps and Italy as a whole are, the journey also opens up some seriously good dining options. If you’ve been to previous Lonville Classics you’ll know what that means in wistful, satisfying detail. The lunches, dinners and tastings change every year, but one thing’s for sure: this is not the time to go on a diet. Overindulgence is an understatement – just perhaps avoid too much Sassicaia.

The final day of the drive you’ll have the option to dress to match your car. Well, I say option. It’s only an option in the same way as using a spoon with soup. You could decide otherwise but why would you? After all, the Lonville Classic isn’t about shaving seconds off your PB nor about sticking it to the other drivers with your mass of rosettes.

It’s about having fun, enjoying la dolce vita with some equally-enamoured drivers and wearing novelty tweed the same pattern as your upholstery.